Machine for picking hops.



J. TROWBRIDGE.

MACHINE FOR PIGKING HOPS. APPLICATION Hmm Nov. 16, 1907.

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Jl TRWBRIDGE.

MACHINE POB. PICKING HOPS. APIfLIoATIoN FILED 11011.16, 1907.

Patented Aug.23,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" JAMES TROWBRIDGE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE non Proximo Hors.

ASpeolcation of Letters Patent. I Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

Application filed November 16, 1907. Serial No.' 402,425.

To all whoml 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES TnowBRIDGE, a

citizen of the United States, and a residentv of the city and county ofSan Francisco and State of California, have invented certainnew anduseful Improvements in Machines for Picking Hops, of which the followingis a s ecication.

his invention has for itsl object to provide simple and practicallyoperating machinery or appliance` for removing hops from the vines, andtheinvention consists in certain novel parts, and combination of partsas hereinafter setforth in the following description and pointed out inthe claims, producing an improved machine for picking Or stripping hopsfrom the vine.

The accompanying drawings herein referred to and forming part of thisspecication illustrate a machine for stripping hops from the vine,embodying iny invention. Figure l is an elevation in longitudinalsection. Fig. 2 is a plan or top-View of Fig. 1,V withv some. of thetop-strippers omitted. Fig. 3 is a top-view,l on an enlarged scale, of asection of the traveling apron, showing the construction of the same.Fig. i is a detail, in perspectiveof the topstrippers, showing themanner of supporting those parts or devices. Fig. 5 is an alternativeconstruction of stripping-device.

The principal parts or members ofthe hop-stripping machine of myinvention comprise an endless traveling-apron or screen a composed ofwire links, and mounted on rollers b-b for traveling in one directionwithin a supporting-frame 2; and a number ofstripping-devices f arrangedover the topsurface of the screen, in groups or sets, and' adapted toyield to the pressure of the vines so as to let the latter pass underthe strippers in being carried forward; and ofcatching and pulling offthe hops in the stripping operation. These parts are mounted foroperation in a stationary frame-work composed of rails and uprights 2--3stiilly puty together and braced.

The travelingscreen a is mounted on rollers laf-b, one at each end -ofthe frame, and is supported by a number of idle rollers d placed atintervals apart under upper or working side of the screen. Power isapplied to one of the rollers b through the medium of a pulley c fixedon the shaft ofthe roller to take a belt from an overhead shaft; or byany other driving means whereby the vstems in the-angles.f`,off"`thestrands 6.

apron a will be caused to travel continuously in the same direction lonitudinally in the frame. v The screen may ao be operated by hand-power;asfor instance by providing a hand-crank of well-known character whlchmay be 'connected with one of the belt-carryj ing rollers b bygear-wheels to increase the power. This last mentioned means is notshownin the drawings, as its application will readily be understoodWithoutl requiring tok be illustrated.

A n ovel featurein thehop-stripping machine of my invention consists inan endless traveling screen formed of loosely joined links or Wireelements so shaped and joined together as to produce lozenge-shapedopenings presenting their acute angles at intervals apart in thedirection of the travel of .the screen and in rows extendingtransversely across the screen.

A s illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, each one of the sections orelements comlposing the screen is formed of two angularly ent strands ofwire '6, each bent in zig-zag form, producing a number of acute angleswith a double-twisted loop or eye at the apex'of each angle designatedby the numerals 7 and 8. The eyes 7 along one edgeV of a strand areunited with those, 8, along the opposite edge of an adjacent strand bythe. oval links or rings 10. The two bars 6 connected together by loosejoints in this manner form a section or unit, in which the two angularlybent strands joined together inclose a lozenge-shaped openin having theacute vangles presented longitudinally ofthe screen, or in the directionof its travel. But as arranged and coupled in this manner, and by reasonof the uniformity in l the length andin the angles of the wire strandsor members, each stra-nd forms kone side of the next section, so thatthe straight members thereof become in turn the sides of the lnextseries of lozenge-shaped openings. This construction is carried out for`the entire dimensions lengthwise and breadthwise of the screen; thespace inclosed between the angular memberscomposing each section beingof sufficient length and vbreadth to allow the largest-*hops n the vinesto drop through the openings"u "'nd-becaught by tlrfilr esectionsofthisrlscreen are of novel construction, also, in having theeye yin each formed with a double twist of thewire; the object of whichis to prevent-the Stems from catching in the joint where t-he wire iscrossed to form the eye.

- l have found in practice that if the eye be formed by a single twistof the wire, the stems are liable to catch in the bight and be drawnthrough the twist into the eye. A screen of this construction composedof loosely jointed sections will be found to travel evenly and turnreadilyv upon the carrying-rollers. lt will throw olf or allow the hopsto pass readily through the opening while it is in motion; and whileseizing and holding 011 to the hops, it will not grip the stems-orstalks of the vines. f Provision is'made, however, for dislodging anyhops or parts of the stems or leaves that may have been caught in thescreen and carried along, by placing a revolving brush-roller /t' underthe working surface near the rear carryingroller. Revolving motion inthe saine direction as the travel of the screen, but at a.

much greater speed, is given to this brush it by connecting thebrush-shaft with the carrying-roller shaft, through the medium ofpulleys z-Z and a belt, as seen `in Fig. This is a direct and simple wayto drive the brush; but it may also be driven from some other part ofthe machine. Additional brushes vmay also be placed for the same purposeat different points under the screen, if found necessary or desirable.

Another novel feature in a hop-stripping machine of my invent-ionconsists in providing at different points above and in close workingrelation to the upper traveling surface of the screen,stripping-devices, or means for seizing and holding on to the hops thatdo not come directly in contact `with the screen and are prevented bythe stalks and leaves from being caught in the openings. These devices,which l term the top-strippers, consist essentially of forked fingerssupported in position over the apron from hinge-joints, on which theyare free to move at their outer ends inavertical arc; each stripperhaving a forked outer end that is turned or presented in thel directiontoward which the screen is traveling, and at an angle to the surface ofthe screen. The

' forked end of the stripper is depressed and held in proper workingposition with relation to the surface of the screen by a spring g,supported by afrod 5 over the stripper. Being held down by this springagainst a stop p, thestrippers f are adapted to yield when a bunch ofstalks or vines is drawn under the strippers.

In the operation of the machine, the topends of a bunch of vines areplaced upon the end of the screen just back of the front carrying rollerb, and while the operator retains a lirm hold on the butt end of thestalks, the vines are drawn in and carried along towardthe rear end,until the vines are laid for their entire length upon the ried out inthis machine consists, therefore, y

in lirst presenting the vines after they are cut, to the travelingscreen, whereby they become attached thereto and are drawn into themachine and under the top-strippers, and afterward in pulling back thevines against the strain of the moving screen, or at the end where theywere entered. The stripped hops fall through theV screen upon atraveling belt or draper t, which is arranged to carry them to a pointof deposit outside the machine. This draper t is of well-knownconstruction; being supported by rollers fw, and running out at the endof the frame.

Fig. 5V illustrates a slight modification of the top-stripper f in whichit is formed of twisted Wire, instead of sheet-metal.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a machine forstripping hops, the combination of a traveling endless screen on whichthe vines are received, and strippers arranged above the screen andinclining downward in the direction in which it travels and havingforked lower ends or edges; between which strippers and the endlessscreen the vines are carried, and by which strippersthe hops are removedwhen the vines are drawn back-ward by hand.

2. In a machine for picking hops, the combination of a traveling endlessscreen on which thel vines are received, and strippers arranged abovethe screen and inchning downward in the direction in which the screentravels, the strippers having forked lower ends and being held towardthe screen with yielding force and so arranged that the vines carried bythe screen are carried under the strippers and the hops are removed bythe strippers whenever the vines are drawn backward against the movementof the screen.

3. In a machine for stripping hops from the vine, the combination of .atraveling screen, strippers arranged above the screen comprising aplurality of separate forked members which incline downward in thedirection in which the screen travels, such strippers being pivotallysup orted and held toward the screen with yie ding force, and means forlimiting the movement of the strippers toward the screen.

the vine, the combination with an endless traveling screen of astripping device ar.

ranged to operate above the screen, comprising a yielding member hingedat one end to a fixed support and having a forked outer end, a stopadapted to limit the movement of the outer forked end in one directionwhereby the stripping device is held in a position in clining downwardin the direction in which the screen travels and a spring to hold saidmember against the stop.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of anendless travelmg screen, top strippers arranged above the said screen,means for permitting the strippers to yield in one direction when thevines laid on the screen are carried forward with the screen,` and meansfor limiting the movement of the strippers in the opposite directionwhen the vines are pulled back over the screen.

JAMES TROWBRIDGE. Witnesses:

L. M. FHMNK,` EDWARD E. OSBORN.

